warm weather blues.

although it has been miserably hot and humid the past few weeks, i actually felt a chill last night. the first chill. could it mean "fall" is coming? with 90° temps still on the horizon, it's highly unlikely...but i'm hopeful.

next week is our family's big birthday week...four birthdays, three days in a row. what do you get for retired parents who [tell you they] have everything they need and an extremely picky pre-teen? i welcome any suggestions.

what's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

has fall arrived yet?

(F21 blazer, Lulu's tee; DIY denim; Nine West sneakers)

white tee + flared jeans.

easy like sunday morning...

and these were taken on sunday morning. this precise ensemble is my absolute favorite go-to outfit. here in hawaii, i can always count on a cute tee + flared jeans + fun accessories to keep me presentable but not overdone. i'm wearing a fabulous tee and necklace from my friends over at sisters marie with an oldie-but-goodie pair of jeans. and i had to throw in some leopard with this cute clutch from love & sunshine.

this long weekend was filled with just about everything...running, hiking, cleaning, eating. a few pics from yesterday's hike below.

what outfit do you feel most confident in?

anything exciting happen this weekend?

lush sunlit greens.

bamboo.

manoa falls hike. it's uphill most of the way, but overall an easy and kid-friendly hike that's a little under 2 miles. go early or else you won't have a chance to take selfies photograph the falls without people in the background.

post-hike grinds from liliha bakery. known for their fluorescent red jelly...who knows what it is, but it's yummy on their toasted butter rolls.

(necklace & old navy tee (gifted); express denim;

jessica simpson shoes; love & sunshine clutch)

the beach tote.

it's the freakin weekend!

i have beach, sand, and sun on my mind, so it only seems right ending the week with a casual beach outfit. my friends over at sisters marie sent me this cute beach bag. it reminds me of one i had years ago that i absolutely loved. it's both functional (holds all the beach essentials and more) and fashionable (love the colorful stripes).

the bag wanted all the attention, so i kept the outfit neutral but added oomph with visual texture (heathered tee) and physical texture (lace shorts). throw in some beachy waves, grab your sunglasses, and head to the water. see you there!

and with summer here, there are tons of makeup and beauty products to try...sunscreens, bronzers, protective hair sprays, tanning lotions, and summery nail polishes to name a few. enter the Ulta giveaway for a chance to win a $250 gift card.

what product would you like to try this summer?

(sterling silver anchor ring, the collegiate standard)

nails: wet n wild megalast in 'innocent'

(old navy tee; patty's closet shorts; billabong bag;

sole society sunglasses)

the silver watch.

for as long as i can remember, i loved watches. watches were functional for me, and i never swapped them out like jewelry. i'd usually have just one that i loved, big and masculine with a two-tone [gold & silver] metal band that would go with all of my accessories...and when the battery died, i'd get a new watch.

(i don't know why i can never get around to changing the battery...it's just easier to buy a new watch!)

my current watch is gold, and i've been needing a silver one for a while now. this fashion quartz watch from Born Pretty fills the void. it's masculine, has a good-sized face, and has just enough bling to be cool and not gaudy. in addition, it has a very nice weight to it for its price. if the watch looks big on my wrist, it is. i went to get it resized, but the repair shop near my office closed down!

do you wear watches? what style do you gravitate towards?

(Roman Numeral Quartz Watch c/o Born Pretty (buy))

the cigarette pant + a smoothie.

just trying to get as much use out of this jacket before it gets too warm. wearing it here with JustFab's new ankle cigarette denim in white. these crisp white denims will be perfect in the spring with brights and fun prints. for now, i'm loving a neutral palette that provides a nice backdrop for statement pieces.

we didn't get to do half the things we wanted to do this weekend because it rained constantly. i felt bad that mini-he wasn't able to get out and do anything, so when he asked to make "jamba juices", we did. it was a nice change from the green (and orange) juices i've been drinking.

how was your weekend?

did you get to do everything you wanted to do?

wine night with the mamas.

smoothie:

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1 banana

5-6 strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1 cup almond milk*

sugar/agave/honey to sweeten (optional)

*original recipe called for 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup almonds which would give the smoothie a nice chunky texture. i didn't have almonds, so i just used almond milk instead.

(bag and denim c/o JustFab; Lulu's shoes;

LA Hearts jacket; shop lately necklace)

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what would you do with $500?!

enter to win a $500 amazon gift card.

second winner gets 100.

leather-sleeved utility jacket.

this jacket is another score from the buy one, get two free promo i mentioned in my last post. these two jackets (this one and the varsity jacket) weren't on my radar, but i did love this striped sweater. so when i heard that i could get two items free, i didn't hesitate grabbing these two jackets. it was an ideal situation because i'm usually hesitant to spend money on cold-weather items. now i have these options in my wardrobe, and i didn't have to spend a dime on them. so what if i live in hawaii...these jackets will have their day(s).

i had an extra tub of greek yogurt on hand, so i made some yogurt pops...in a cake pop pan. this super simple recipe only calls for 1 cup each of blueberry yogurt and blueberries. i only had plain yogurt on hand, so i added honey to sweeten it. the minis loved them, and i have been loving them after my treadmill runs.

here's my modified recipe:

1 cup plain greek yogurt (i used fage)

1/4 cup honey (or agave)

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

blend everything (or just mash fruits and stir into yogurt)

and freeze at least 2-3 hours. add your popsicle sticks

after they harden a bit.

(jacket via pacsun; denim c/o JustFab; vans shoes;

Patty's Closet tee; necklace via ShopLately)

a few to try:

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need to update your wardrobe for spring?

enter to win a $500 Amazon gift card

ain't laurent.

the big news around here is the giant surf hitting hawaii's north shores this week. the expected waves of 40-50ft high, biggest this decade, were deemed too dangerous and deadly even for professional big-wave surfers. oh how i wish i was at the beach house this week...these huge waves are such an awesome sight to see.

another jeans + tee combo wearing this parodical tee from Patty's Closet. in case you were wondering, the saying was meant to be somewhat of a spoof on the renaming of the legendary fashion house, yves saint laurent. the brand's most recent designer chose to drop 'yves' and work under saint laurent. the iconic interlocking YSL symbol is what many of us associate the brand with, and some people were not happy with the loss of Y. the result? this tee. what are your thoughts on this?

stay tuned tomorrow for another awesome giveaway.

healthy bbq chicken plate lunch.

tees and jeans.

one of my most worn combinations is a [graphic] tee + jeans + heels...with a jacket or blazer, if need, accessorized with a statement necklace, great bag, scarf, pair of sunglasses, or all of the above. it's a casual combination that looks polished if all the pieces are just right...meaning a slightly oversized tee and a great-fitting pair of jeans.

these JustFab signature skinny distressed denims in indian ocean are the perfect match for a tee and heels. it's not overly distressed, making it wearable to the office, and is perfectly fitted. i have a couple pairs of JustFab jeans, but they didn't make them in my size at the time (i had to size up). many of their newer styles are now available in size 24, and i couldn't be happier with the fit. this is definitely one to stock up on, and right now, you can get 2 pairs for $49.95.

have you tried JustFab denim?

what brand is your favorite pair?

(JustFab distressed denim in indian ocean &

Statement bag in gray c/o)

full of yourcelf.

as personal style bloggers, we are fairly comfortable with having our picture taken. heck, we even take them ourselves. but i'm not talking about self-photographing outfit photos with a tripod. i'm talking about selfies. the shameless photos we take of ourselves with our handheld devices while we are out and about, documenting what we're eating, seeing, or doing at the moment...for the blog's sake, of course! blame it on social media if you like, but we're all guilty of this. at least, i am. #sorryimnotsorry

wearing a designer inspired tee from Patty's Closet. and for those who aren't in the know, (don't feel bad, i wasn't either until i googled) a celfie is a selfie that is taken specifically with your cell phone.

do you celfie?

what would a celfie post be without a celfie?

...or two.

or three or four or five...

wait, here's more...

shameless.

(tee c/o Patty's Closet (808-235-2924); Patty's Closet skirt (808-625-6441)

nine west shoes; h&m bag; honey love necklace)